Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa

South Africa: Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by was 0.4338 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.4338
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
16th
of 62 countries
All-time high
0.5888
in 2003
All-time low
0.3807
in 2017
Years of data
15
2000–2020

Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.20.40.62000201020202000: 0.5812001: 0.5652003: 0.5892008: 0.492009: 0.492010: 0.5012012: 0.5082013: 0.482014: 0.4312015: 0.4522016: 0.442017: 0.3812018: 0.4422019: 0.4382020: 0.434

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.4338 for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in 2020.

The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa peaked at 0.5888 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.3807, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 16th of 62 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Technicians in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.5812
2001 0.565 -2.8%
2003 0.5888 +4.2%
2008 0.4903 -16.7%
2009 0.4904 +0.0%
2010 0.5011 +2.2%
2012 0.5079 +1.3%
2013 0.4798 -5.5%
2014 0.4305 -10.3%
2015 0.4523 +5.0%
2016 0.4404 -2.6%
2017 0.3807 -13.6%
2018 0.4419 +16.1%
2019 0.4379 -0.9%
2020 0.4338 -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.5431 0.4903 0.5888 5
2010s 0.4525 0.3807 0.5079 9
2020s 0.4338 0.4338 0.4338 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Ecuador 0.4637 compare
  2. 14 Cameroon 0.4559 compare
  3. 15 Dominican Republic 0.4416 compare
  4. 17 Serbia 0.4335 compare
  5. 18 Belgium 0.433 compare
  6. 19 Finland 0.4291 compare

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa?
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa was 0.4338 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.5888 in 2003.
What is the lowest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3807 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 62 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Technicians. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-paid-employment-by-occupational-group-technicians/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Technicians
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
62 places, 730 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed